Houlden members gear up for last day of annual London event

Jewellery buying group Houlden has opened the doors to the final day of its annual London event this morning.

The event kickstarted on Monday, February 20, with a directors meeting, followed by a day for its retailer members on Tuesday, February 21.

At yesterday’s meeting the buying group highlighted to its retailersthe importance of working together to emerge stronger, using the hashtag #ConnectingMakesUsStronger as the strapline for the day.

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Discussing the significant changes which happened around the world in 2016, most notably Britain voting to leave the EU and Helen Haddow taking the helm as the buying group’s new CEO, Houlden stressed the power of working together for the good of the industry.

One of the group’s main messages was: “Change can be challenging, which is why we believe in the power of connecting.” With this, Houlden encouraged its retail members to dream big together and achieve the best for each other.

The day, which enjoyed 100% attendance from the group’s retail members, then proceeded to have a look at 2016 and identify key trends set to continue to influence independent retailers in 2017.

Most notably, Houlden encouraged its retail members that the “high street is a hot bed of opportunities”, again stressing that they can work with one another to become stronger.

Other areas of focus included embracing opportunities presented from Brexit, using digital platforms to drive footfall into store and creating an excellent customer experience.

Houlden also highlighted that it was not just the retailers who needed to embrace change, but the buying group itself needed to as well.

For Houlden, this means reassessing the services the buying group delivers, with a focus on transforming its training offering this year, refurbishing its offices and introducing two new directors.

At today’s events Houlden suppliers have the opportunity to showcase their products to the group’s retail members.